pasturella

Question
QUESTION: We have a wonderful house rabbit who is the center of our world.She has a a large mass that is the result of pasturella we have done antibiotics and surgery. Her heart stopped during the last operation and the vet no longer wants to put her under anymore. I cannot bear the thought of giving up and just watching her and  waiting is killing me,|She was a rescue and has come so far and deserves every chance she is only 3.I live in BC Canada and I will do anything to save her.Any ideas would be greatly appreciated I have tried everything I can and I am now desperate for advice. Thank you so much for your time

ANSWER: Dear Chris,

It's not clear from your description where the abscess is located.  You also don't mention what type of antibiotics she's getting, but if she's a poor risk for anesthesia (which sounds like the case), then it's best to treat this medically, rather than surgically.

Please write back and tell me the exact nature of the lesion (location, size, whether it has been cultured, etc.) and what meds she's on, and I'll be better able to assist you.

Hope to be able to help shortly!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for getting back to me so soon. The mass started on the side of her jaw with 2 smaller ones under her chin.They put in drain tubes and the smaller masses cleared up but the one on the side of her jaw remained and hardened. She now has a round mass under her chin just beneath the larger one. The vet I have is wonderful but I feel as though she has given up. The last antibiotic was baytril. I mentioned Bicillin but she has never heard of it. I asked for a culture or a biopsy but was told that would require anesthesia and she is uncomfortable doing it . She didn't feel it would change anything as we could not operate.She is a very caring vet and understands how I feel but is not quite sure where to go from her medically.I am not sure what is available in here in BC Canada.I have not found another vet who understands rabbits. The vet did say she would try whatever I came up with so here I am.I have even tried finding something holistic but not sure where to look. She is not on antibiotics right now because she needed a break so her stomach can rest they said. So I am giving her traumamel for pain and dandelion extract and vitamin c to try and give something to fight with. She is still lively and playing . Her appetite is good although we have to make sure her food is cut small.Any thing you can help me with would be wonderful, anything to go to her with.Again thank you

Answer
Dear Chris,

I'm not sure why there's such a shortage of vets in Canada who are experienced with rabbits, but I do hear this a lot.  I hope this article will help:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/jawabscess.html

Pay special attention to the linked article by Tyrrell, et al., and share it with your vet.  Clindamycin should NOT be given to rabbits, but some vets have used it as bead implantation.  I'm not a fan of this, and far prefer bicillin.  But I thought I would mention this because it's in the article.

Don't let the vet give up.  This is a nasty problem (your bunny may have osteomyelitis, infection in the bone), but bicillin *can* clear this up, given time and a sufficiently rigorous dose.  We use 50,000IU/kg once every 48 hours for as long as it takes.

I hope your vet will be willing to try this, as it has produced what seems like miraculous results in many a bunny with huge, nasty jaw abscesses.

Good luck,

Dana